I've Seen The Dark Side, Too
by MusicTeacher-gLeek
Summary: Homecoming madness ensues for the members of New Directions during their senior year. With our favorite gleeks and Ginny Gordon, my own character. This was started before Season 2 of Glee, so some characters are not current! R&R!
1. Prologue: DAY ONE

Title- I've Seen The Dark Side, Too

Author- MusicTeacher-gLeek aka Theresa

Disclaimer- I don't own any of the Glee characters, so don't sue because you won't get much!

This fanfic is set during the senior year of Rachel, Finn, Kurt, Mercedes, Artie, Tina, Quinn, Puck, Brittany, Santana and all the rest. For the purpose of this fic all of them were sophomores during Season One of Glee.

Here is a little bit of info to get you up to speed:

Rachel- has been dating Finn since the summer after "Journey," she is still co-captain of the Glee club with him, and has little to no contact with Shelby Corcoran.

Finn- dating Rachel, co-captain of the Glee club, as a senior he is the starting quarterback of the football team, and his mother Carole married Burt Hummel last summer, making him Kurt's brother.

Kurt- as a senior he is the costume designer for New Directions, is Finn's stepbrother, and is dating a junior who attends Mt. Carmel high school (home of Vocal Adrenaline), whose name is John.

Mercedes- always the diva, just began dating Matt Rutherford

Artie- has been officially dating Tina for a little over a year, and has become the technical wiz of not only the Glee club, but of the whole school

Tina- has grown out of the goth phase and is more of the girl next door, dating Artie

Quinn- has become focused on doing well in school and is a straight A student, has been single since a brief relationship with Puck after giving up Beth, has become good friends with Mercedes and to some extent, Rachel

Puck- is still a bad boy with a little bit of a dark side (that no one really has noticed yet), he keeps to himself mostly and is still haunted by losing both Beth and Quinn

Brittany- still has blonde as ever, but not as stupid as you think, works on a lot of the choreography for Glee

Mike- is in charge of New Directions choreography with Brittany

Santana- is the new it girl/ head cheerleader at McKinley High, stayed in New Directions because they have been so successful (and because she secretly loves it), still messes around with Puck on occasion

Matt- just began dating Mercedes, very intellectual jock

And now for the adults!

Will Schuster- is finally engaged to Emma after a year of making things right, they got engaged at the end of the kids junior year, planning a winter wedding

Emma Pillsbury- is so happy to be marrying Will! She loves her job, both as school counselor and chaperone for New Directions

Sue- is well…Sue! She has continued a love/hate relationship with the Glee club, as well as with Will. She only spends 5 hours a day plotting the demise of New Directions instead of 23, so she's making progress.

Shelby Corcoran- is the proud adoptive mother to two-year-old Beth, she has taken a break from teaching and is running her own business from home.

I have added a few characters to this story, and it is mainly about Virginia "Ginny" Gordan, a freshman at McKinley with a tortured past (which of course I will tell you nothing about now), here are some of the other characters I've added:

Jack Ryan- sophomore in the Glee club, became friends with Finn while playing on the basketball team and joined Glee, a husky boy next door

Joe Diaz- everyone calls him "Diaz", sophomore and best friend to Jack, the ONLY hockey player in McKinley history to join Glee

Lori Gaines- the only sophomore girl in Glee, joined to try and impress Jack, is a mini version of Quinn as a freshman but way, way meaner. Jack has no interest

Alex, Dave and Amy- all members of Glee who are juniors this year

Lawrence Hawkins- the only other freshman to audition for New Directions, he is a real nerd, but he loves to sing and is good at it.

And now, on with the show!

Prologue: Day ONE

Ginny stared blankly into the mirror, squinting in the dim light. "I guess this will have to do," she said to herself, eyeing her jeans and t-shirt. It wasn't like she had an extensive wardrobe to consult on her first day of high school. Sighing, Ginny grabbed her bag and headed out the door.

The walk to school wasn't long, and Ginny spent the time lost in thought. As she walked up to McKinley High, sadness came over her. "How long before this place is just another bad memory?" she thought, as she walked through the double doors. The office was easy enough to find, and it was packed with students asking first-day questions. She waited patiently until she reached the counter. "Hello, my name is Virginia Gordon and I'm a new student," she said, and the secretary smiled. "Welcome Virginia, our guidance counselor will be with you shortly." "Great," Ginny thought as she sat down. She was hoping that starting at a new school on the first day of the year would exempt her from the prying school counselor visit. No such luck.

After a few minutes Ginny watched as a petite woman with red hair and big eyes approached her. At least _this _counselor looked nice. She was really tired of the nosy, old, plump type.

"Hello, you must be Virginia. My name is Ms. Pillsbury, welcome to McKinley High!" She said in a pleasant, genuine voice. Ginny couldn't help but smile as she stood up. "Why don't we go to my office and chat," she continued, leading Ginny out of the room. Ginny followed, not necessarily happy about this "chat", but wanting to get it over with like every other time before. She followed Ms. Pillsbury into the little office and sat down, watching as she opened the folder containing Ginny's school records. The young woman's eyes grew wider, if that were even possible.

"I see you've been to seven different schools in the past four years. I bet you are a pro at packing and moving by now." She commenting, trying to make light of the situation. The look on Ginny's face only showed the pain for only a moment, but Ms. Pillsbury caught it and changed the subject.

"So, do you go by Virginia?" Ginny couldn't help but grin at this question. "My mother calls me Virginia; the rest of the world knows me as Ginny." The counselor returned her smile. "Well Ginny, your file doesn't seem to list any extra curriculars, do you have an interest in any of the sports teams at McKinley? Of course there are also the arts, music..." Ginny felt a dull ache in her chest, the feeling she got when someone mentioned her one true passion in life. But this, too, was mixed with pain. "I tried out for show choir at Carmel, but of course, I didn't make it." At the mention of show choir, Ms. Pillsbury got the biggest grin on her face, and replied. "It just so happens that our glee club, New Directions, is holding auditions this morning during free period. I'm sure Mr. Schuster would love you have you!" Ginny was confused by the huge grin on the counselor's face, and reluctant to answer the question. Audition? She hadn't planned on joining anything at McKinley. It was much harder to stay invisible, and possibly disappear, if you were involved. Normally she would refuse politely and move on, but today apparently wasn't normal. "Sure, why not," were the words that spilled out. Instant regret and fear hit her like a ton of bricks. "Great! I'll take you down to the choir room now. Free period is about to start."

Ginny grabbed her things and followed Ms. Pillsbury into the hallway. The counselor was rattling on about the glee club's members and achievements, but Ginny wasn't really listening. Instead she was watching the other students as they passed, studying their reactions. Some were whispering, others had dopey grins on their faces, and still others looked like they were going to barf. Ginny was confused yet again. "I'll let you in on a little secret." Ms. Pillsbury said, and it caught Ginny's attention. "We are getting all these looks because the students just found out that Mr. Schuster and I are engaged. It happened this summer, and most are just receiving the news." Ginny sighed, at least it wasn't _her _that made them want to hurl. "Congratulations" Ginny said, but her mind was elsewhere. How long before the students were staring at her? She was still thinking that as they reached the choir room door.

Rachel and Finn pulled into the parking lot at McKinley High. "It's the first day of senior year, aren't you excited?" Rachel asked, grabbing Finn's hand. He smiled, returning the huge grin on her face. "I would be much more excited if we didn't have football two-a-days this week." He groaned just thinking about it. "You'll survive, maybe." Rachel teased, laughing as she got out of the car. Finn got out as well, and they walked hand-in-hand toward the school, eager to get to free period and the glee auditions. "This year is gonna be great!" Rachel thought, squeezing Finn's hand in excitement as they walked.

Will Schuster was really early to school on the first day back. Of course he needed to set up the choir room for glee auditions during free period, look over his rosters for his Spanish classes, the usual. But he also had a special delivery to make. He dropped off his things in the choir room and headed towards Emma's office. His fiancé, Emma. Will loved the sound of that. They had been through a lot in the past few years, but he never gave up. He loved her, OCD and all.

Will rounded the corner and saw her, straightening the brochures on the shelves of her small office. "Hey beautiful," he said, walking in with one hand behind his back. "Hey Will. Wow, you are here early this morning. Lots to do?" She said smiling, trying to peek behind his back. He wouldn't let her. "No, I just had a present to give the most amazing woman in the world." He pulled a bouquet of wild flowers, vase and all, from behind his back, sitting it on her desk. "They're beautiful," Emma said, and Will pulled her close for a quick kiss, followed by a longer hug. She pulled away, smiling. "Are you excited about the auditions?" She asked, moving to sit behind her desk. Will sat as well. "I am. Hopefully we'll have a good freshmen turnout. We need to get a good group in to learn from the seniors." Before they're gone, he added in his head.

Emma saw the stress on Will's face. Having 12 seniors with so much talent in the glee club was both a blessing and a curse. She stood up, moving behind Will to wrap her arms around his shoulders. "Don't stress over it now, it's only the first day. You have a whole year to recruit." Will smiled and stood up, pulling her into another hug. "You are right, as usual. I better get to work. Have a good day, I love you." He said. "I love you too." Emma replied as she watched him walk out.

_**Let me know what you guys think! The actual first chapter will be up soon!**_


	2. Nothing To Lose, Nothing To Prove

_Hey guys! Thanks for adding the story to some of your alerts and favorites! Now I need some reviews!_

Chapter 1- Nothing to Lose, Nothing to Prove

Will watched as his students began to file in. Rachel and Finn were first, of course. Rachel took her job as glee club captain very seriously, and Finn took Rachel very seriously. "Hey Mr. Schue," Finn said, smiling as they walked up. "Hey guys," Will replied, as Rachel asked. "Is there anything you need us to do before auditions start?" He smiled at her get-to-it attitude. "No Rachel, I think everything is ready."

More members arrived, and the students chatted, excited about the first day. Will was pleased to see most of his underclassmen members return, especially Jack Ryan. As a sophomore, Jack reminded Mr. Schue of a young Finn, with a little more talent. Even though Jack was a little huskier, he could sing just as well as Finn and he could dance way better. Will laughed to himself as the bell rang and the students settled down. He greeted his students as they waited, hoping to see people flood in to audition. No such luck. Will saw the disappointed faces and worked to reassure him, "Don't worry guys. Remember, some freshmen don't know where the music room is. They may be running a little late." The tardy bell rang, and still, not one student showed up. Just when they were about to give up hope, Ms. Pillsbury appeared in the doorway with a girl by her side.

"Hello Mr. Schuester, sorry to interrupt," she said, smiling at all the "ooooo's" coming from the older glee clubbers. She continued, "This is Ginny Gordan, she's a new student and would like to audition." Ginny looked around the room. There were WAY more people in here than she had imagined, but this could never be as scary as auditioning at Carmel. She was startled from her thoughts as a skinny, nerdy looking boy burst into the room. "I'm sorry I'm late, can I still audition?" he said, winded, as he tripped over his feet. His books flew everywhere, and his face turned red. Ginny kneeled down to help him pick up his things, as did one of the boys from the Glee club. "Thank you," the boy stammered, getting back on his feet and looking very embarrassed. Mr. Schue just smiled, "Welcome, you are just in time to audition. Would you mind introducing yourself?" he said. "Oh…uh sure. My name is Lawrence Hall, I'm a freshman this year." "Well, that's obvious." Kurt replied, causing the entire room to erupt in laughter. Lawrence got even redder, but laughed along as well. During all the commotion, Ms. Pillsbury excused herself, "Let me know if you need anything, and good luck." She whispered to Ginny before she left. Mr. Schuester smiled as she left.

"Well, the audition process is pretty simple. Each one of you will choose a song to sing for the group, and then we decide as a group if you're in. Which one of you would like to go first?" Ginny froze in panic, she thought there was no way she could get out of going first, but Lawrence surprised her. "I'll go; I've already got something prepared." The room watched as the geeky freshman found a new confidence as he began to sing. Ginny hadn't heard the song before, but she thought he sounded pretty good. She looked around the room, and saw nothing but approving looks. That old familiar sinking feeling hit as she listened and she willed it to go away. It was funny how the morning turned out. One minute she was trying to be invisible, the next she was auditioning for glee club. Ginny was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize Lawrence had finished until she heard the applause. "Great job Mr. Hall, I am not gonna lie, I am very impressed," he commented, then continued. "All those in favor of adding Lawrence to New Directions raise your hand." Ginny watched every person in the room raise their hand, which only added to her nerves. She briefly wondered if Mr. Schuester made them vote EVERYONE in, because in that case she was safe. "Welcome to New Directions Lawrence," he said, as everyone clapped again. Then the focus turned to Ginny. "What will you be singing Ms. Gordon?" He asked, smiling, and she could only think of one song. "I'm Not That Girl from Wicked," she replied, nodding at the accompanist as she took her place in front of the other students. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she let all of the nerves and worries fade as the music began.

_Hands touch, eyes meet. Sudden silence, sudden heat. _

The opening lyrics flowed from her lips, from her heart. This song has always been her escape.

_Hearts leap in a giddy whirl. He could be that boy, but I'm not that girl._

Ginny had never been in love. Sure, most 15 year olds hadn't. But she at least wanted to believe that love was possible. All she had ever seen between a man and woman was pain and hurt.

_Don't dream, too far. Don't lose sight of, who you are._

Too many bad memories, too many ways to lose her mind. Holding on to herself, her inner voice, was the only thing that kept her from going crazy. From giving up.

_Don't remember that rush of joy. He could be that boy, but I'm not that girl._

Ginny opened her eyes to find the entire glee club watching her in awe. She felt truly happy, for the first time since she moved to Lima.

_Every so often we long to steal, to the land of what might have been._

To have a normal life, a normal family. To live in one place for more than six months. To feel safe, truly loved, to trust. All things she wished for, hoped for.

_But that doesn't soften the ache, we feel, when reality sets back in._

Pain, loss, betrayal, that was the reality of her life. Maybe this time it would be different. Maybe.

_Blithe smile, lithe limb. She who's winsome, she wins him._

For a second Ginny looked around the room, studying faces. There were obviously quite a few couples in the room. Her eyes rested for a moment on the boy who helped her pick up Lawrence's books. When his eyes met hers, she quickly turned away.

_Gold hair with a gentle curl, that's the girl he chose._

Rachel smiled and held Finn's hand a little tighter. This was a song that frequented her I-pod a lot freshman year. When Quinn and Finn were together, before she and Quinn were friends.

_And Heaven knows, I'm not that girl._

Stupid girl, fat girl, ugly girl, useless, worthless, insert expletive here; that was what Ginny was used to. She didn't dare think any different.

_Don't wish, don't start. Wishing only wounds the heart._

This part was always the hardest to get through. This was the line that broke her during the Carmel audition. She refused to let that happen again.

_I wasn't born for the rose and the pearl_

Will Schuster was very impressed with this girl. The truth was that she wasn't the most talented girl he'd ever heard, but she had depth. Ginny Gordan had heart, and he could used some of that.

_There's a girl I know, he loves her so_

Now she was invested. Good or bad, she wouldn't be able to be invisible at McKinley High.

_I'm not that girl._

The music came to an end, and applause filled the room. Ginny smiled, she couldn't believe she made it through. Now it was time to vote. "Great job, Ginny. All those in favor of welcoming Ginny raise your hand." Mr. Schuester said, and every hand went up. Ginny saw the smiles on most of the their faces, and it made her feel genuinely liked. "Welcome to New Directions Ginny. I need to see Lawrence, Ginny, Rachel and Finn for a second. I will see the rest of you tomorrow. Have a good day!"

Ginny stood next to Mr. Schue as the rest of the students began talking among themselves. The two that she assumed were Finn and Rachel, along with helper boy. He smiled at her. "Hi, I just wanted to tell you that you did a great job. My name is Jack, by the way." He blushed a little, and his smile made Ginny's heart skip a beat. "Thanks, nice to meet you." She replied, as he walked away, smiling. Mr. Schuester smiled at them, "Let me introduce you to our captains, Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry. They will be able to help you with any questions you might have." He handed Ginny and Lawrence a piece of paper, "This is our schedule until Christmas. We rehearse every day during free period and Tuesday and Thursday after school. Any other rehearsals and performances are on the schedule. See you all tomorrow!" Mr. Schue picked up his things and headed to the Spanish room. Ginny didn't notice. She inwardly cursed herself for auditioning as she looked at the schedule. Why did she continually let her guard down, knowing full well it would end in pain? Ginny didn't know how long she had been standing there when Rachel snapped her out of it.

"Do you need help finding your next class?" She asked, smiling at Ginny. Rachel had noticed the girl, starring at the schedule, lost in thought. Of course the Glee schedule was demanding, even overwhelming at times, but it was totally worth it. She hoped Ginny would stick around long enough to see that.

"No, that's okay. I passed it on the way here. Thanks though." Ginny replied, giving Rachel a small smile. She grabbed her things and headed down the hallway, slipping into her seat in Physical Science just as the bell rang.

_Lets make this fun. When you review the story and tell me what you thought, also tell me the Glee song that the title comes from. I am going to try and name ever chapter with a line from a song from season one. Let's see who gets the most right! No cheating!_


	3. We get to carry each other

_Here is chapter two, a year later! Sorry for the delay, but I've found my muse again! Please read and rate, I love comments and constructive criticism!_

Chapter Two- We get to carry each other…

The rest of the morning went smoothly for Ginny. Physical Science dragged on, and she had homework the first day. Next was a typing computer class, and she finished her work in 15 minutes. So far McKinley wasn't such a bad place. But unfortunately, lunch was next.

Lunch hour has always been a source of anxiety for Ginny. Her plan was to stay invisible as possible, get her food, and find some corner to hide in. Maybe with all the new freshmen no one would notice that she was just plain _new_. She made it to the line without being noticed and quickly grabbed a sandwich and some fruit. Ginny paid and she was almost in the clear. Almost.

"Hey girl, where you going?" she heard from behind. She turned around slowly, expecting the worst. Instead, she saw two of the glee kids, food in hand. The terrified look on Ginny's face tipped them off. "Come over and sit with us, we don't bite…hard," the boy teased, and the girl rolled her eyes. "Don't pay attention to Kurt, he doesn't play well with others. I'm Mercedes," she replied as they reached a table full of glee clubbers. Mercedes introduced Artie, and Tina, and ended with, "and I think you know Jack." Ginny smiled, sitting in between Jack and Mercedes. The talked turned to lots of first day gossip, mostly centered on another glee club senior, Puck. They pointed him out to Ginny, he was sitting across the room with some of the rougher jocks. "I mean, he's always been stand-offish, but it seems so much worse. Finn said he barely talks to his football buds anymore." Jack said. Ginny looked across the room at Puck. She recognized the look, scared, haunted, but she didn't say a word. Before they knew it, lunch was over and they were heading out.

Again, Ginny found Jack right beside her. "What do you have next?" He asked, being friendly. "Spanish II with Mr. Schuester," she replied as they walked. "Me too! How did you get in as a freshman?" He led Ginny in the right direction as they talked. "I had the chance to take Spanish I last year at Carmel. "Wow, you went to Carmel?" He said, eyes wide.

Ginny bit her tongue, and she wasn't surprised by Jack's reaction. Carmel High School's Vocal Adrenaline has been the main competition and enemy of New Directions at McKinley since Mr. Schue revived the group. Student's at Carmel Middle School were allowed to audition and participate in a mini version of the group, and it was a requirement that you participated in middle school to even audition in high school. Ginny hadn't made it that far. She tried not to think about that fact as they took their seats in Mr. Schue's class.

Jack saw the look on Ginny's face and noticed the silence that followed, and immediately regretted the comment. She had floored him with her audition this morning and he really wanted to get to know her better. "I'm sorry if I said something wrong," Jack said, snapping Ginny out of her thoughts. "No, you're okay. Vocal Adrenaline are a bunch of jerks anyway. I'm glad I'm at McKinley." They both smiled as the bell rang and Mr. Schue started class.

Ginny took a chance to study Jack a bit. He was a little taller than her, husky but not fat. He had short, shaggy brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He dressed like a popular kid, but sure didn't act like one. Why was he being so nice to her? Plain clothes, above shoulder length brown hair, and dull green eyes. She definitely wasn't in his league, not even close. She refused to think about it anymore and began paying attention to Mr. Schue.

Puck sat in his math class, looking between the clock on the wall and the watch on his wrist. He only had 15 minutes to get done what he needed to between school and football practice. That was not enough time. He either needed to skip the last half of this class, or be late for football practice. Being late for practice meant being benched for the first game, but getting caught skipping class meant being kicked off the team. That's why he wasn't getting caught. "Ms. Kennett, I need to use the restroom, I don't feel so good," he said, raising his hand. "Why am I not surprised Mr. Puckerman. Go ahead." She waved her hand and he was gone in a flash. Puck wasn't about to waste the 30 minutes of time he had bought himself.

Ginny had a ton to think about on the walk home from school. Her first day at McKinley was a whirlwind of emotions, and she was actually happy. It had really been awhile since she felt _that_ emotion with no strings attached. No relief, no guilt, just joy flowing through her veins. Maybe this time things would be different, maybe Lima would be home. But, Ginny wasn't getting her hopes up just yet. She walked up the steps and opened the door.

The mobile home park wasn't necessarily in the best part of town, but it was cheap and close to school, and it was all they could afford. At least it was clean now. Ginny spent two days on her hands and knees to get it that way. "Mama, I'm home." She called out, closing and locking the door behind her. She sat her bag on the old worn couch that came with the place. "Mama?" she called out again, but there wasn't any answer. She carefully checked the bathroom, then her mother's bedroom. Finally she checked her own tiny room. It was barely big enough for the twin mattress on the floor, and she was glad it had a built in dresser. Kimberly Gordon was no were to be found. Ginny closed the door to her room, silently reasoning to herself. "She's out looking for a job. She said that she would, if she felt up to it." She thought out loud, as she sat on the couch. It was possible that her mom felt better, but not likely. In between cleaning their new home, Ginny have been taking care of Kim, and yesterday afternoon had been extremely hard. The vomiting was almost constant, and all Ginny could do was help her mom stand in the shower to wash it away. It's wasn't easy to listen to her mother cry, a soft, defeated whimper. Ginny held her mother gently by the arms, completely soaked, and tried her best to comfort her. "I know Mama, you are going to feel so much better after this. I love you Mama." It was 1:30am in the morning before she fell asleep, allowing Ginny to get some rest before her first day of school. And when she left, her mother was still asleep.

Ginny pushed all of those thoughts away and focused on homework. When she looked up again it was 10:35, and still no Kimberly. She put her things away and went to bed, always listening for the door.

_So, what do you think? What is wrong with Kimberly Gordon?_


	4. Now and Then, I get Insecure

_Here is the next installment of my story! I have always imagined that Rachel, once she becomes sure of who she is, would be super protective of anyone that might look up to her. This chapter shows that. Enjoy!_

Chapter Three- Now and then, I get insecure…

Ginny woke up to her alarm the next morning, and immediately jumped up, rushing to the master bedroom. Kimberly Gordon was laying there, sound asleep. Ginny got close, studying her, but she seemed no worse for the wear. Breathing a sigh of relief, Ginny got ready for school, and left a note on the fridge.

Mama,

Sorry I wasn't awake when you got home. I won't be home from school until after 5 today, I'll explain why tonight. Happy job hunting!

Love,

Virginia

She looked in on her mom one last time, and then left. Ginny was a little nervous for glee rehearsal, but she was excited too. Now that she had actually met most of the members, she wasn't as afraid. As Ginny walked through the parking lot, she heard someone call out her name. She turned and saw Rachel and Finn walking towards her.

"Did you have a good first day?" Rachel asked, as they walked toward the school.

"It was pretty good," She replied, as they headed to the choir room. Ginny stopped at her locker on the way, grabbing a pencil for rehearsal. She entered the choir room and chatted with Mercedes and Kurt until the bell rang.

Mr. Schuster walked to the front of the class. "Good morning guys! I hope you had a great first day, but now it's time to get to work. We have five weeks until the Showcase, and 12 weeks until Sectionals." Some of the students groaned, but Ginny was terrified. Rachel handed out some music, as Mr. Schue continued.

"Rachel is handing out our warm-ups as well as _Don't Stop Believin'. _ For those of you that don't know, this is our encore song. We sing it every year to remind us where we came from." As he spoke, the seniors smiled at one another.

Rachel finished handing out the music and Mr. Schue arranged them for warm-ups. He put Ginny in between Rachel and Mercedes, and began rehearsal. They were only warming up, and Ginny knew she was way behind the rest of the girls. Mercedes had a soulful, strong voice and Rachel, well she was hard to explain. Ginny had heard voices like Rachel's before…on TV. She was mesmerized, to the point of not being able to sing. She was embarrassed to be heard by the two very talented girls beside her.

After warm-ups, Mr. Schuster decided to run through _Don't Stop _so that the newbies could see how it went. "Rachel, Finn, you take the first solos, Santana, Puck the next, and Kurt, Mercedes the last." Mr. Schue said, smiling, then added, "Lawerence, Ginny, hold on!"

The music started and Ginny began singing. Her part was easy enough, that is until Rachel started singing. She really was that good. The other soloists were good too, and Ginny felt more and more self conscious. The song was over before she knew it, and everyone was pumped. "Great job everyone!" Mr. Schue said, "This afternoon I'm going to hand out some new charts to start working up." The bell rang as he spoke, "Have a good day guys!" Ginny grabbed her music and headed out the door, still floored by what she had just heard.

Lunch time came again, and Ginny looked at her funds. It was only Tuesday, and she had $3 left. Hopefully her mom had found a job. She settled for PB&J and milk, and sat next to Tina at the table. They made small talk and laughed, but Ginny's lack of food did not go unnoticed. When she excused herself to the restroom, Mercedes leaned over to Tina.

"Have you ever seen anyone eat so little? I would be wasting away."

"I know." Tina replied, "I saw her counting her money in the hall. Maybe she's running short." She shrugged, and added, "Who knows?"

Ginny was almost to the restroom when a group of jocks rounded the corner. She wasn't terribly afraid of them, but she should have been. Before she knew it Ginny had taken her first slushie facial. The cold, sticky liquid dripped down her shirt, as the jocks laughed and high-fived. Towards the back of the group she spotted a stone-faced Puck. She ducked into the bathroom before they could see her tears.

Ginny looked at her reflection in the mirror. The purple liquid was staining her shirt, was of the few she had. Defeated tears escaped her eyes, which only succeeded in making it sting. "Ouch," she squeaked, reaching for the paper towels.

"Here, let me help." A familiar voice said from behind. It was Rachel; she had a towel in one hand and a chair from the corner in the other. "Have a seat," she continued, as she walked over and locked the bathroom door, sparing Ginny further embarrassment. Rachel used the towel to gently wipe the slushie from her eyes, "Lean back against the sink and I'll rinse it out of your hair." Rachel said quietly. Ginny was shocked by Rachel's kindness. She was even more shocked at her preparedness, when she pulled a t-shirt out of her bag. "You can change into this, I'm sure it will fit." Ginny took it into the stall and quickly changed. When she came back out, the look on Rachel's face made her burst into tears. It was a look of knowing, of feeling what Ginny was feeling.

"Don't cry, it will all be okay. Did you see who did it?" Rachel said, rubbing the younger girls back, soothing her.

"I don't know his name, but I know Puck was with them." She answered, almost wishing she hadn't added the last bit. Anger flashed on Rachel's face, then she continued.

"Unfortunately this happens to every member of the glee club at one time or another. The good news is that I'm always prepared." Rachel smiled, and Ginny smiled too.

"Thank you, you don't know how much this means to me."

"No problem. You're one of us now. Glee club takes care of their own." She replied, as the bell rang. The girls unlocked the door and walked out, just in time to get to their next class.

The rest of the day went smoothly, and Ginny met up with Tina and Artie as they walked to Glee rehearsal. As they got closer, they heard yelling come from the choir room. Ginny was shocked to see tiny Rachel bearing down on Noah Puckerman.

"You are a disgrace Noah. Picking on a freshman on the second day! She is one of us! I knew you were a jerk but I didn't know you were a low down snake!" The look on Puck's face was complete shock, with a bit of guilt. Rachel was so angry she was red in the face, even Finn was in shock. Ginny decided to step in. She walked into the room, gently touching Rachel on the shoulder.

"It's okay Rachel. He's not worth it." Ginny whispered, as she looked Puck in the eyes. Rachel backed down, and Puck stormed out. "Thank you for standing up for me Rachel, you didn't have to do that." She added. Rachel sighed, letting some of her anger go.

"He isn't the same Noah, we are a team, a family. And you don't just stand by and let your family get hurt." She said, calming down a little as Mr. Schue entered the room.

The rest of rehearsal went by quickly, and Ginny was walking home before she knew it. Headlights pulled up behind her, and she stopped.

"Hey Ginny, need a ride?" It was Finn and Rachel, offering her a ride home. It was a nice gesture, but she really didn't want anyone to see the place she called home.

"No, that's okay. I'm almost home, thanks though." She replied, and they sped off.

Ginny was relieved to walk in the door and see her mother sitting on the couch, watching the small TV they had.

"There's my girl, tell me all about your day." She patted the couch next to her, and Ginny plopped down. She told Kimberly about getting roped into glee auditions, classes, and making new friends. She mentioned Jack briefly, and told the story of Rachel standing up for her.

"It sounds like you've made some good friends already." Her mom said, smiling at Ginny. For the first time in what seemed like years, her Mama was back. She looked sober, awake, alert. It was almost too good to be true. The next comment made it even more unbelievable. "I got a job waitressing at the all night diner outside town."

Ginny was ecstatic. "That's great Mama! When do you start?"

"Tomorrow, so tell me more about this Jack fellow." Ginny rolled her eyes, but continued chatting with her mom while she worked on her homework. It was hard for Ginny to remember a time when things were this easy. As she laid down in her room, Ginny couldn't help but wonder how long it would be before things began to crumble.

_So Rachel and Ginny are friends, and Mama is home and safe. What do you think?_


	5. It's over now

_So a little bit of time has passed in the story since the last chapter. Let's see what you think!_

Chapter Four- It's over now…

It had been almost a month since school started, and Ginny was getting into a routine. She really liked McKinley, but the best part was Glee. She became fast friend with Rachel after the slushie incident, so she spent a majority of her time with her, as well as Finn and Jack. Ginny and Jack normally spent time together doing Spanish homework, but they also enjoyed each other's company. Her mom still had her job a t the diner. All in all, things were going great.

It was Friday night, and McKinley was gearing up for the first home football game of the season. It was all Mr. Schue could do to get the kids to run through their first number for the invitational. After trying desperately to accomplish something in rehearsal, he gave up and dismissed them. Rachel walked over to Ginny.

"So, you're going to the game with me tonight right? I don't want to go alone." She asked, smiling as Finn walked over, sporting his football jersey.

"Sure, I just need to let my mom know I won't be home right after school. Can I borrow your cell to call her at work?" Rachel nodded, handing it over. Ginny called and left a message, then headed to her next class.

By lunch Ginny was ready for the weekend. Her physical science test had left her physically exhausted, and she welcomed the break. She met up with Jack in the lunch line.

"How did the test go?" He asked as they moved through the line.

"Oh, it was awful. I'm sure I bombed." Ginny answered. They reached the register and she started digging for her cash.

"I've got it." Jack said, stepping in and paying for both of their meals. Ginny blushed, feeling embarrassed, and Jack caught the look. "It's no big deal, and I'm sure you didn't bomb your test." His smile made her blush even more, and she sighed.

"I guess we'll see. I wouldn't bet on it."

Mercedes, Tina and Kurt kept giving Ginny funny looks all through lunch. She couldn't figure out why, but she suspected it had something to do with Jack buying her lunch. When the bell rang, Mercedes pulled Jack aside.

"I'll see you in class!" he called out, as Mercedes and Kurt cornered him.

"Why did you buy Ginny's lunch for her?" Mercedes asked, staring him down. The look on Jacks' face gave him away, but that didn't stop him from trying to explain it as if it were nothing.

"The line was long, and she was having trouble finding her cash, I was just being nice." He said, looking back and forth between Kurt and Mercedes. Kurt had that devious look on his face, and he grinned.

"It seemed like more than just a friend gesture." He said, stressing the word friend. Mercedes just smiled. Jack shrugged, hurrying to Spanish class.

"What was that all about?" Ginny asked, looking at him.

"Oh nothing, typical Kurt and Mercedes drama." Jack said, playing it off as if it were nothing. Ginny was still curious, but they didn't get another chance to talk before they left class. The rest of the day flew by, and before she knew it, it was game time.

Rachel and Ginny got seats right in front of the Cherrios, where Brittany, Santana and Lori (a sophomore in Glee club) were warming up. Rachel was internally grateful that Quinn had given up the Cherrios for good. She was nicer, and even more driven than before. Rachel suspected she would end up valedictorian of their senior class. She was snapped out of her thoughts as the McKinley High Titans entered the field. The girls began to cheer with the crowd, and the game began. During the first half the Titans managed to hold the score to 0-0, grateful that they could at least keep the other team from scoring. The sun was down now, and Ginny shivered in the cool night air. Rachel had Finn's football sweatshirt on, but Ginny didn't have anything.

The girls chatted quietly while they watched their friends in the band perform at half-time. Rachel noticed Jack walk down the bleachers, looking for a place to sit. She stood up, flagging him down.

"Jack, come sit with us!"

"He walked up and sat next to Ginny. "What did I miss?" He asked smling, and Ginny filled him in, just in time for the third quarter to begin.

They all were focused on the game, willing the Titans to win. Jack was focused on the game as well, but he couldn't help but notice Ginny was shivering next to him. He took off his letterman jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. Ginny looked at him, and their eyes met.

"You don't have to do that, I'm fine," She said softly, and tried to hand it back.

"No, it's okay. I'm not cold. You keep it." He replied, and Ginny blushed. The action on the field picked up, and the opposing team got a touchdown just as the clock ran out on the third quarter. They missed the field goal, so the Titans still had a chance.

Lori looked up and noticed that jack had made it to the game. Her excitement was short lived when she saw him sitting next to Ginny Gordan. AND she was wearing his letter jacket. What did he see in HER? Lori had been buttering him up for the last year, hoping he would ask her out. They would be the perfect power couple. Jack was the reason she joined Glee. Now some little freshman skank was stealing her thunder. Lori wouldn't allow this to go on much longer.

It was third down, 23 seconds left in the 4th quarter. The Titans were still down by 6. The pressure was on Finn. They snapped the ball, and after a long few seconds he passed it to Puck, who ran for the TOUCHDOWN! The crowd went nuts, including Rachel, Ginny and Jack. The extra point was good, and the Titans scraped by with the win. The crowd cheered again, and the trio made their way out of the packed stadium to wait on Finn. The team rushed past them, heading to the locker room, cheering the whole time. Rachel, Ginny and Jack chatted until Finn came back out. He hugged Rachel, grinning from ear to ear, and high fived Jack.

"That was an awesome pass man, just perfect." Jack said, and Finn just kept smiling.

"Let's all go get pizza, my treat." Finn said, and Jack looked at Ginny. She was unsure, but she couldn't say no to the look on Jack's face. Rachel and Finn were waiting for her answer too.

"All right, let's go." She said, smiling and giving in.

Ginny rode with Jack, and she didn't even think to be nervous until they pulled out of the parking lot, following Finn and Rachel in all the traffic. She instantly clammed up, and it didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey, what's wrong? I'm not gonna bite ya." Jack said, kidding her. She laughs too, and then relaxes a little.

"Sorry, I'm just really tired, but I couldn't say no to pizza." She smiled, as they pulled up to the pizza parlor. They ate and laughed, having a great time. Ginny looked at her watch, and knew that her mom would be off of work soon. Jack noticed her looking.

"Do you need to get home? I could take you," Jack said, his eyes meeting Ginny's. Rachel and Finn shared a knowing look, but luckily neither one noticed.

"I do really need to get home." She said, almost apologetically, to Finn and Rachel. Rachel smiled reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it! Finn and I should probably get home too. Call me if you get bored this weekend, okay?" Rachel said, as Jack and Finn said their goodbyes. Ginny nodded.

They walked out and go into the car in silence. Jack looked at Ginny and smiled, now HE was the nervous one.

"So, where to?" Jack said, trying to play it cool and shake his nerves. This small question, however, seemed to make him, and Ginny, more nervous.

"Corner of Broadway and Walnut." Ginny said, picking the corner nearest to the trailer park. She still wasn't ready to show anyone where she really lived. The tension in the car was thick, and neither teen spoke until the car stopped at the corner.

"I had a really great time tonight, I'm glad you came to the game." Ginny said softly, trying her hardest not to blush, and to be sincere. Their friendship hadn't been awkward until now, and she was trying desperately to continue that trend.

"Me too." He replied, with almost a dopey grin on his face, and after realizing this, he started backpedaling. "I mean, I had a great time too, and I'm glad I got to see Finn throw the winning touchdown." Stupid, Jack, way to be a jerk, he thought to himself. He jumped out of the car and went to the passenger's side, opening the door for Ginny. She stepped out, both shocked and flattered.

"Always the gentleman, but really, I can make it from here. I wouldn't want my mom getting upset." She added, hoping it would convince him she was telling the truth. As they stood on the sidewalk together in the silence, Ginny remembered she still had his jacket on. She took it off and handed it to him, instantly feeling the chill.

"Thanks for letting me wear it. I'm sure you're freezing." She said, as her eyes met his. She couldn't look away, and she felt suddenly warmer. Jack couldn't look way either.

"No, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." He said softly, his hand taking a hold of her elbow almost unconsciously, pulling her closer, his eyes never leaving hers. Ginny could feel what was happening, and she almost panicked. Luckily for them both, Jack realized it too. He pulled Ginny into a hug instead, at the last second, and it actually wasn't awkward. They both pulled away, blushing.

"See you on Monday Ginny, have a good weekend." Jack said, smiling, as he got in the car and drove away.

_Hmmm…I love me some romance drama! If you hadn't figured it out before this chapter, you know now that Jack and Ginny are super attracted to one another. The only people who don't see it are Jack and Ginny. Please comment…I want to know what you think?_


	6. Maybe this time, I'll win

_This chapter is extremely long…I ended up putting more information in here than I originally planned. Stick with it, I promise the read is worth it!_

Chapter Five- Maybe This Time I'll Win

The weekend seemed to fly by for Ginny, with homework, cleaning and laundry. Her mom worked 12 hours days nearly every day, and especially on the weekends, leaving almost all of the chores to Ginny. She didn't mind though, because her mother was doing better in Lima than she had in a long time. A job for almost two months, and no signs of any _sickness_, for Ginny, life was finally good.

Monday morning began the long week known as Homecoming, and Homecoming Madness was definitely present in free period Glee club rehearsal. As excited as the students were about spirit week, the game, and the dance, they were also realizing that their own home Invitational was only two weeks away. Once Mr. Schuster finally calmed them down, they got straight to work on their latest number for sectionals. They were doing three charts, one with mainly girls singing, one with guys, and one all together. By the time the rehearsal was over, the members of the glee club were tired, but still pumped up. Tuesday was the same way, with both the morning rehearsal and the evening rehearsal. Ginny left right after they finished on Tuesday night, and Jack watched her go.

"Dude, have you asked her to the homecoming dance yet?" Artie said, rolling over to his younger friend. Finn was with him, and they had watched Jack as the girl left the room. And poor Jack, the look of panic was there. He had no idea that someone else knew that he liked Ginny, well, except for maybe Finn. And maybe Ginny herself, but of course, he couldn't be sure.

"No, I just don't know if I should. I mean, I like her, a lot. But, we are really good friends and I don't know if she wants anything more…" He stammered, and Finn laughed.

"Then just ask her as a friend. No need to torture yourself. And if it turns into something more, then awesome." He said, clapping his friend on the back. "Just don't worry too much about it; I'm sure she'll say yes." Artie nodded in agreement.

"You think so?" Jack said, and he laughed along with the rest of the guys. Tomorrow, he thought as he drove home, I'll ask her tomorrow.

Ginny's walk to school each morning was becoming chillier now that fall has set in. Luckily her mom had bought her a jacket a few weeks ago. She hugged it to her body as she crossed the street in front of the high school, walking through the parking lot. She nearly fainted when she heard her name.

"Ginny!" he said, "Wait up a sec!" Jack jogged up to her, smiling and trying to be smooth. She smiled back, thankful that it was Jack and not someone else. She had managed to not get slushied since the first week of school, and she hoped it would stay that way.

"You're here early; did you forget to do your Spanish homework again?" Ginny teased, as her eyes met his. She saw a seriousness there, and it caught her by surprise.

"No, I got it done yesterday. I just had something I wanted to ask you," Jack's eyes never left hers as he spoke, and he was nervous now. He cleared his throat, and kept going.

"Will you go to the homecoming dance with me?" Both Jack and Ginny were oblivious to those around them, so neither one saw the disgusted look on Lori's face as she walked past to rehearsal.

Ginny's heart was beating so fast, and it took her a second to answer. Jack broke eye contact then, and took a step back.

"We can go as friends; if you want…I don't want you to do something that you don't want…" He stammered, but Ginny grabbed his hand, stopping him.

"I would love to go with you Jack," Ginny answered, "I'm sure Rachel and I can find something for me to wear on such short notice." She let go of his hand and smiled. Jack smiled back.

"If I know Rachel, she's already got it picked out." He said, looking across the parking lot to see Rachel and Finn watching them. Ginny laughed.

"I'm sure she does. We better get to rehearsal." Ginny replied, walking towards the school.

They walked together and met Rachel and Finn at the door. When they got to the choir room the boys went in, and Rachel walked with Ginny to her locker.

"So, what were you and Jack talking about?" Rachel asked, as if she didn't already know.

"Jack asked me to the homecoming dance, but of course you knew that," She said, laughing as she closed the locker door, "And I said yes." Rachel's eyes lit up.

"Yay! Now we just have to pick out the perfect outfit for you! You can come over tomorrow night after Glee and I am sure we will find something. And you could ask your mom if you can stay with me Friday night. This is going to be so fun!" Rachel replied, practically wearing Ginny out. What Ginny didn't know was that Rachel, despite the many friends she had now, had never had a super close girl friend, one that she could plan outfits and sleepovers with. So Rachel was more than ready to do these things with Ginny. And Ginny was excited that for once, she had a friend. As they went to Glee rehearsal, she silently prayed again that Lima would be home, for good.

This rehearsal was the worst one they had had all week. Ginny was, admittedly, not the greatest dancer, but she was working hard to keep up. But it seemed like Lori ran into her whenever possible. Towards the end of rehearsal, Lori stomped hard on Ginny's left foot, and she let out a yelp, when caused the whole crew to stop.

"Geez guys, what happened to our focus? Let's call it a day. Come back tomorrow with your head in the game!" Mr. Schuster said, shaking his head and talking with their accompanist.

"Sorry guys." Ginny said, limping over to the chairs and sitting down. Jack was right there beside her.

"You don't have to apologize for anything." Jack said, his eyes looking over a Lori, then back at Ginny. "Are you all right?"

"I'll be okay. I just need to work on the steps more, maybe Brittany can help me." The bell rang as she spoke. Standing up, Ginny limped towards the door.

"I can carry your books, if you need me to." Jack said.

"No, that's okay. See you at lunch." Ginny replied, being rather short with him. She felt bad instantly for sounding so harsh, but she felt a bit overwhelmed, and smothered. She was excited that Jack had asked her to the dance, and that Rachel was going to make sure she had something to wear. On the other hand, she couldn't help but feel that Lori was picking on her and stepping on her on purpose. With glee and her mom and everything else, she was stressed out.

By the time lunch rolled around, the rumors spread that semi-popular sophomore Jack Ryan was taking new, nobody freshman Ginny Gordon to the homecoming dance. Jack knew that the whispers were probably fueled by Lori, and he was already fed up. He met Ginny at the door, and noticed she was still limping.

"Is your foot still bothering you?" He asked, concerned.

"It doesn't hurt that bad anymore. Why is everyone staring at me?" They got in line for lunch, and the stares and whispers continued.

"I think Lori has something to do with this." Jack said, seething, as Mercedes, Kurt and Tina came up behind them.

"Don't let them bother you Ginny. We've got your back." Tina said, and the rest of them nodded. During the rest of the lunch period, they tried to keep both Jack and Ginny distracted so that they didn't notice. When the bell rang, the two headed for Spanish class with Mr. Schue.

The whispers and stares died down for the rest of the day, and for that Ginny was grateful. Her foot didn't hurt that bad and she made it through the day okay. She met up with Jack, Finn and Rachel in the parking lot.

"Do you really think Lori is doing this on purpose?" Finn asked, and then cut it short as Ginny walked up. She noticed the quick silence, and shook her head.

"Really guys, no harm done. My foot is fine, so what if she wants to gossip? It isn't hurting me any. I HAVE a date for the dance." She replied, in a true flash of confidence. Ginny smiled at Jack, who was smiling as well, and blushing.

"Well, I'm glad you are feeling okay, but I'm not going to let you walk home. I'll take you, we have plans to make." Rachel said, smiling, as she got in her car. Ginny followed suit.

"Do you think Lori will calm down before rehearsal tomorrow?" Ginny asked, and Rachel shrugged.

"I don't know, but I would be prepared, if I were you."

Ginny's mom was glad to hear that her daughter had a date for the homecoming dance, and agreed to let Ginny stay over at Rachel's afterwards. Kimberly didn't mind, she was working a double that night anyway. After a 16 hour shift, she wouldn't notice if Virginia were home or not. When Ginny finally went to bed that night, she tried hard to ignore the black and blue spots on her foot.

Ginny slept so well that night, that she apparently didn't hear her alarm. Running late, she frantically found something to wear, and was surprised that her mom was already awake this morning. She kissed her cheek hurriedly.

"See you late tonight Mama, I'm running late!" Ginny said, heading for the door.

"Wait Virginia, let me take you. I'm presentable at least." Kimberly replied, grabbing her keys. Ginny looked a little apprehensive, but smiled. It wouldn't hurt for some of her friends to meet her mom finally.

When the beater old station wagon pulled up in the parking lot, Rachel was surprised to see Ginny get out. She figured her friend was already inside, going over dance moves with Brittany. She walked over to the car, along with Finn and Jack. Ginny walked around the car as Kimberly rolled the window down.

"Hey guys, this is my mom, Mrs. Gordon, mom this is Finn, Rachel," she hesitated for a moment, "and this is Jack." Kimberly smiled at the children she had heard so much about.

"Nice to meet you all, Virginia has told me so much about you. I'll see you tonight." She said to Ginny, before rolling up the window and driving away. They walked into glee rehearsal, and Ginny managed to keep questions about her mom to a minimum. They had more important things to worry about, like the wrath of Lori.

Lucky for Ginny, Lori didn't seem to even notice she existed anymore. The day went by smoothly, and then it was time for glee rehearsal again. Mr. Schue had managed to book the auditorium so that they could do a straight run-through of all three sets for the Invitational. The run through went surprisingly well, although they were all tired when they finished. Mr. Schue looked pleased.

"That was great guys! Awesome first run through, I think we will be great at the Invitational! Tomorrow we will do another run through in the choir room, and then we will work hard on cleaning everything next week. See you tomorrow!"

Everyone gathered their things, chatting excitedly. Most of the chatter was about the homecoming dance the next day, and Ginny found herself getting just as excited as the other girls. For once she felt like she belonged and that was a great feeling. Rachel walked over and the two girls headed for her car.

"I really appreciate this, you taking out the time to help me find something to wear to the dance. I really don't have anything nice at home." Ginny said, feeling embarrassed as she admitted this to her new friend.

"It's okay; I actually don't mind sharing clothes with a friend. I've never had any siblings to share with, so it's fun for me!" Rachel said, heading to her house.

The girls chatted on the short drive to Rachel's, but nothing prepared her for the house she was about to see. It wasn't like Rachel's parents were rich or anything (like Quinn's, for example) but Rachel's house might as well have been a mansion to Ginny. She grabbed her book bag and followed Rachel in.

"My dads will be home in about an hour. They already said its okay if you stay for supper, Thursday night is Chinese take-out. You like Chinese right?" Rachel asked, chattering away as they went up the stairs.

"Sure, sounds great." Ginny said, taking time to look at all of the pictures of Rachel and her dads in the stairway. When they entered Rachel's room, however, it was exactly like Ginny expected it would be, very girly, with yellow and pink, and stars. Gold stars, the ones Rachel liked the most. Ginny smiled.

"You have a beautiful house Rach, although I expected your room to be a little girlier, I mean, it's just so tom-boyish." She said, laughing.

"Ha ha, you're so funny! Well, let's get to work. Go ahead and take off your shoes so it will be easier to change." As Ginny did so, Rachel saw how purple and blue Ginny's foot was from Lori stepping on it.

"Wow Ginny! Are you sure she didn't break it? It looks pretty bad."

"Rachel, its fine, really. I doesn't hurt that bad, it looks worse than it is." Rachel shook her head.

"Whatever you say."

An hour and one hundred outfits later, they had found the one. This outfit consisted of a cute mid-length black skirt with knee-long red leggings underneath, a red peasant top and some cute black flats.

"Do you really think I look all right?" Ginny asked for the 100th time.

"You look awesome! Tomorrow night after the game we will come back here and change, and then Jack and Finn will pick us up. I can't wait to see the look on Jack's face!" Rachel said, clapping her hands together with pure joy. Ginny still wasn't sure; she had never even tried on anything like this outfit before. They put the outfit back in Rachel's closet and headed downstairs to have Chinese with Rachel's dads, which went well. Afterwards, they headed for the car so Rachel could take Ginny home.

"So, where exactly DO you live? I mean, we've been dropping you off at the corner this whole time. I don't want to you walking too far with your foot all bruised up." Rachel asked as they put their seatbelts on.

Ginny froze, unsure of what to do. She knew that Rachel was her friend, and that she was one of the most non-judgmental people Ginny had ever met, but she didn't know what to do. The silence dragged on, and Rachel picked up on it.

"You don't have to be embarrassed Ginny. It doesn't matter where you live, you're still my friend. And I promise I won't tell anyone, not even Finn."

Ginny nodded, and gave Rachel the directions to the trailer park, and finally, to the small trailer she and her mom shared. Rachel's eyes were wide, but she didn't say anything as they pulled up.

"I guess you didn't think I lived in a place like THIS, huh? Ginny said, getting out of the car slowly. Silence was the worst thing Rachel could have done, and the tears welled up in Ginny's eyes. Rachel saw it, and got out of the car.

"Ginny, wait! I'm sorry I didn't say anything. I just didn't want to say the wrong thing. It doesn't matter to me, I promise!" Ginny turned to face her, and saw the sincerity on Rachel's face.

"My mom and I had to start over in Lima. We didn't have much to start with, but things are getting better." She said, grabbing her book bag from the back seat. Rachel nodded, and wrapped her younger friend in a hug.

"You don't have to be embarrassed. You are still the same Ginny to me."

"Thanks Rachel, thanks for everything. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rachel watched as Ginny walked up the stairs and into the trailer. She knew that her new friend wasn't the wealthiest, but now she saw that Ginny was dealing with much more than not having enough money for a new outfit. She secretly thanked God for the blessings in her life, and vowed to help Ginny in any way possible.

The next morning Ginny got up and got dressed, running early rather than late. She checked in on Kimberly, who was still fast asleep, and packed her small bag for the sleepover at Rachel's. On the walk to school, Ginny's thoughts lingered on the next 24 hours. For the first time since Jack had asked her to the dance, she felt nervous. She met up with Finn, Rachel, Kurt, and a few others in the parking lot. Jack pulled up, and that nervous feeling came back. Ginny watched him walk up, and she got sick to her stomach with butterflies. She tried not to meet his gaze as they headed to rehearsal, and successfully avoided him during that morning's run-through. He caught up with her, though, during lunch.

"Hey Ginny, how was dinner at Rachel's last night?" He asked, hoping she would relax.

"It was good. We had a great time finding an outfit for tonight." She replied, smiling at him. Their eyes locked and she looked away again.

"Ginny, you don't have to be nervous. It's just me, just the same Jack who is awful at Spanish, and at singing." He laughed a little as they sat down. They were the first glee members to their usual table. She looked at him again.

"You are a great singer, but you are pretty awful at Spanish." They laughed together, as Artie and Tina joined them. The tension broken, they were able to enjoy each other's company for the rest of lunch and Spanish class. After school, Jack met her at her locker. She smiled, facing him.

"So, Finn tells me that we are picking you guys up at Rachel's for the dance. Is it okay if I sit with you and Rachel at the game?" He asked, smiling back at her.

"Sure, that is fine with me. See you there?"

"Yep, can't wait." He smiled again as he walked away. That smile made Ginny feel nervous all over again.

The game was all tied up in the fourth quarter. The Titans had had a rough night, despite the Homecoming excitement, and already had two injured players. The pressure was on Finn again, after throwing two interceptions early in the game.

"C'mon Finn! You can do this!" Rachel whispered under her breath, and Ginny heard her.

"He's got it Rachel, no problem. Relax!" Ginny said, and both she and Jack laughed.

"I want to relax, but if he loses he'll be in an awful mood at the dance, and I want to have a good time!" Rachel said, smiling with both of them.

Just the mention of the dance made Ginny completely terrified. So far at the game Jack had been his normal self. He hadn't made any moves to hold her hand or anything, and Ginny was grateful. She didn't want to get so nervous that she decided not to go, and any sudden movements on Jack's part would have put her over the edge.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the cheers of the crowd, and of Rachel. Touchdown Titans! The clock ran out as they scored the field goal, and McKinley was victorious once again! Rachel and Ginny cheered, hugging and jumping up and down, and Jack just laughed.

"What? We're excited! Where is your McKinley high spirit?" Rachel said, looking at him.

"I have plenty of spirit, but you two are over the top!" The smile he flashed Ginny made her heart melt. He had a way of doing just exactly that every time he looked at her. Laughing, the three headed for the exit.

"I guess I'll see you guys in a bit. Be careful getting out of here!" Jack said, walking over to wait for Finn outside the locker room.

"We will!" Rachel answered, and they headed to her car. She noticed how quiet Ginny had gotten, and she smiled.

"Getting nervous?" She teased.

"A little. I've never been to a dance before, let alone with a date. Jack is so nice, and I…I don't want to mess things up." Ginny replied, as they pulled into Rachel's driveway.

"You won't mess things up. Jack likes you for you, and I know you guys will have a great time. Just wait and see." Ginny hoped that Rachel was right.

An hour later both girls were dressed, and Rachel had already fixed her own hair and light make-up. She was working on fixing Ginny's hair when her phone rang.

"Okay, yeah, umm hmm, I'll see you soon. Love you too, bye." Rachel hung up the phone and continued working on Ginny's hair.

"Are they on their way?" She said nervously.

"Yes, they are, but don't worry your pretty little head. They need to stop at Finn's real quick first, we have plenty of time." Rachel finished with the straightener, and then let Ginny see herself in the mirror as she got out her makeup. The girl Ginny saw in the mirror was one she never would have recognized. Her eyes welled up as Rachel came back.

"Oh Ginny don't cry, you look beautiful! We'll just add a little bit of makeup and then you'll be perfect." She wrapped her arms around the young girls' shoulders, looking in the mirror with her.

"Thank you Rachel, this would have been impossible without you. I've never had…" she stopped, not wanting to sound stupid, but then went on, "I've never had a friend before." Rachel smiled, wiping the tears off of Ginny's cheeks.

"Well, now you've got one. And a best friend at that." She said, and began working on the makeup. In a few minutes she was finished, and she heard the doorbell ring.

"Here goes nothing!" She said excitedly, as the girls grabbed their purses.

"Rachel! Ginny! Finn and Jack are here!" Rachel's dad, Hiram, called out.

"Coming!" Rachel said, squeezing Ginny's hand before they went down the stairs.

Finn was prepared for Rachel to look gorgeous, as always, and he wasn't disappointed. She was wearing a darling yellow and black dress, with her hair pulled back, she was beautiful. But he wasn't expecting Ginny to look the way she did. And judging by the look on Jack's face, he didn't either.

She was beautiful, absolutely stunning. He couldn't speak, he couldn't even move. Ginny was like an angel straight out of his dreams, and Jack blushed for even thinking those things about her. Rachel watched the boy's reactions, and decided to break the silence.

"You two look very dashing tonight. Did Carol have to tie your ties?" Rachel asked, smiling as she took Finn's hand.

"Guilty." Finn said, watching as Ginny stepped in front of Jack.

"You look amazing." Jack said, blushing, his eyes meeting Ginny's.

"Thank you. And you look dashing, Rachel had the right word." Ginny said, meeting his gaze. Although she was still beyond nervous, having Jack look at her that way made her feel special, and she knew that saying yes to him was the right move.

"You all look great. Let me take a few pictures before you go," Hiram said, pulling out the camera.

"Okay Daddy, but just a few," Rachel added, as they posed for him. As the pictures went on, Ginny got less and less nervous. They walked out, and got to the cars.

"See you guys there!" Finn called out, opening the door for Rachel. Jack did the same for Ginny, and they were off. An awkward silence ensued, until Jack spoke up.

"Ginny, you really look beautiful tonight," he said, sneaking a peak at Ginny, and then blushing, he added, "I mean, you are always beautiful, but now…" His voice trailed off.

"Thank you Jack, you really don't have to say that. Rachel did a good job putting a nice bow on an ordinary package." She said, looking out the window as they pulled up to the school. Jack looked at her, taking her hand to stop her from continuing.

"You are anything but ordinary Virginia. You are one of the most amazing people I know, inside and out." He said, his eyes meeting hers. The use of her full name got her attention, and she blushed as well, without breaking eye contact.

"Thank you," she said softly, smiling. "We should head inside." Jack nodded and got out, opening the door for her.

"Shall we?" He said, extending his arm to her.

"We shall." Ginny replied, smiling and taking his arm. They entered the gym, which was decorated and packed with students, and headed over to the table of glee club members, where Rachel and Finn had just arrived. As Ginny walked up, she heard the ooohhs and aaahhs of her friends.

"You look fabulous Ginny, Rachel did a great job." Kurt commented, and the rest of the crew nodded.

"Thanks you guys, she's the best." Ginny commented, smiling.

Ginny wasn't really one for dancing, but with the encouragement of Rachel, Tina, and even Jack, she was having a great time. After staying out on the floor for 3 straight songs, she and Rachel took a seat while Finn and Jack went to go get them some punch.

"I'm having an awesome time, even if I can't dance!" Ginny said, semi-yelling over the music.

"I knew you would! And you aren't that bad, Finn is the one who can't dance." Both of the girls laughed as she added, "But he still has fun!"

Ginny's eyes searched for Jack, and she saw him standing near the punch table, with none other than Lori Gaines. Ginny's blood boiled, and Rachel saw it too.

"I'm sure she's just making small talk. Don't worry about it." Rachel said, and sure enough, Jack left her and headed back to the table. He handed Ginny her drink, and saw the look on her face.

"I'm sorry Ginny, she stopped me. I am here with you; I only want to be here with you." He said, taking her hand. The first slow song of the evening started, and he pulled her up. "Dance with me?"

Ginny nodded as they made their way to the floor. She saw Rachel and Finn on the floor as well, but when Jack put his arms around her, everything else disappeared. She couldn't speak; the lump in her throat was massive. Her only hope was that Jack couldn't hear how fast her heart was beating.

Jack was blown away by the fact that Ginny was standing here in his arms. Just a few months ago he never would have guessed how much he cared about her. She was smart, funny, and beautiful without even realizing it. And she was mysterious. He hoped that she would trust him with more of her; he wanted to know so much more.

Ginny looked up, and their eyes met. She smiled, "Thank you for asking me. I've having a great time." Her voice shook as she spoke, and Jack smiled.

"I'm glad you are having as much fun as I am. Maybe we can go out again sometime soon, just you and me?" He asked, feeling brave.

"I'd like that." She answered, and they held each other as the song ended. Rachel walked over, smiling.

"I'm heading to the little girls room, wanna come?" She asked Ginny.

"Sure," she replied, turning to Jack, "I'll be right back."

The girls giggled and talked all the way to the bathroom. Mercedes and Tina were there as well.

"Looks like somebody is having a great first homecoming." Mercedes said, smiling at Ginny, "No one else exists when you guys are on the dance floor." Ginny blushed, looking at the three older girls.

"Lori seems to be pretty steamed, serves her right for messing with you this week." Tina added, as she and Mercedes headed back to the dance floor. Rachel and Ginny's eyes met, and they both smiled.

"Thank you so much for everything Rachel. This night is turning out to be one of the best nights of my life." Ginny said, her eyes beaming.

"You are very welcome. I'm glad you are having a good time, and that Jack is too." Rachel replied, smiling as they headed back out.

Mercedes and Tina were walking towards them, along with Finn, trying desperately to stop Ginny from seeing the dance floor, but they were too late.

Finn, Jack and Artie had decided to head out and dance by themselves while the girls were in the bathroom, and Lori had decided to join them. All night she had been waiting for the chance to get Jack alone, and now she had it. They had been dancing together as a group, and Lori had signaled Jack out. The dance had turned slightly inappropriate, and Lori had taken that chance to make her move. When Ginny walked out, she saw Jack and Lori, dancing and grinding close to each other. Although Jack wasn't touching the other girl, in Ginny's mind, he might as well have.

Finn saw the look of terror on her face, and tried to comfort her. "They're just dancing. We all were." He sounded weak, and he knew it.

Ginny's eyes welled up with tears. She felt defeated, used, and broken. At that exact moment, something made Jack look up, suddenly wondering what was taking his date so long. His eyes met Ginny's across the room, and what he was doing immediately registered. He pushed Lori away.

"Hey, what's your problem? You were having a LOT more fun dancing with me than with her." She said, with venom in her words, as she reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Don't touch me," He seethed, heading for the hallway where Ginny was standing. Ginny watched this interaction, and the realization on his face, but she was numb. Why had she let herself care about someone, especially a boy? After years of watching her mother's heart break she should have known better.

"I need to get some air." She gulped, almost in a whisper. She turned and headed out the door, and when Rachel tried to follow her, Finn grabbed her arm.

"Give her a minute, here comes Jack." He said softly, as Jack walked up to them.

"Where is she? I honestly didn't mean anything by it, I didn't even realize what that would look like to her, oh God I've messed it all up." He said, shaking his head and looking defeated. Rachel was livid, not at Jack, but at Lori.

"Lori did this on purpose; she knew what it would look like to Ginny." Rachel said, clenching her fists in anger.

"That girl is going to get some serious smack down when I get a hold of her." Mercedes said, and Jack shook his head.

"No guys, she isn't worth it. I need to go find Ginny." He said, hurrying for the exit.

It felt good to feel the cool late October air on her face, even as the wet tears fell. Ginny felt incredibly stupid for falling for Jack's charms. She had honestly thought that he cared for her, and felt used. When she heard the door open, Ginny didn't even look to see who it was.

"Ginny, I'm so sorry. I know how that must have looked…" She cut him off.

"It looked like you two needed a room, and you can go get one if that's what you want." Ginny snapped back, instantly feeling awful for being so cold, despite the situation. The tenderness in Jack's voice as he replied startled her.

"That is not what I want. I was dancing with the guys and she came up and started dancing with us. I was having a good time; I wasn't even paying attention to who was dancing with me, because it meant nothing. I know it looked like it did, but it didn't." Ginny turned and faced him, with tears still in her eyes. It broke his heart to see her that way. He took a step forward, wanting to hold her, comfort her, but she stepped back. Ginny wanted to believe him, and he continued.

"I care about YOU Ginny, not about Lori. I should have known what she was trying to do when she came up to me. Please don't cry, it's killing me. Let me make it right." This time when he got closer, she gave in. Jack wrapped his arms around her, and she wept.

"I'm sorry, I just…no one has ever cared about me like you do. I was so afraid that I had been led on, and I just can't take that kind of heartbreak…" Ginny whispered into his shoulder.

"Shhh, it's okay Ginny. I'm so sorry, I do care about you. You have the most beautiful heart I've ever known." He whispered, as he held her close.

Things outside McKinley High's homecoming were being made right, but inside it was all that Finn, Artie, Mike and Kurt could do to keep Tina, Mercedes, and especially Rachel, from attacking Lori on sight. They were angry that their friend had been hurt, and Rachel already knew how much Ginny was going through outside of school. She wanted her new friend to be able to trust people, and now Lori had made Ginny question her trust for Jack. When the group saw the two come back into the hall holding hands, they were both shocked and grateful.

"I'm sorry you guys had to see that." Jack said, apologizing to his friends. He turned to Rachel, "She did do it on purpose. I thought maybe Lori would back off, but she didn't." At that moment the whole group saw Lori approaching them. She had gotten brave, especially after she saw Ginny run off in tears. When she saw the couple reenter the dance hand in hand, she decided to go and make sure that Ginny had gotten the hint. A slow song started to play as she walked up to the couple.

"C'mon Jack, let's go dance." Lori said, boldly locking eyes with Ginny as she spoke.

"I don't want to dance with you; I want to dance with my DATE." Jack said, squeezing Ginny's hand.

"It didn't seem like you cared too much about HER a few minutes ago." Lori commented, stepping in between the couple.

"Back off Lori, just give it a rest already." Ginny said bravely.

"Or what Virginia," she began, stretching her full name, "what would Jack want with a white-trash loser like you?" Lori smiled, moving closer to Ginny, pushing her back a step. At this comment Rachel lunged, seething, and Finn pulled her back. Ginny didn't say anything, but her eyes never left Lori's.

"Back off," Jack warned, but Lori just kept at it.

"C'mon baby," Lori crooned, stepping to the side and getting in Jack's face, "Let's go."

Ginny couldn't handle this anymore. If she had learned one thing from her mother over the years, it was to defend herself when she KNEW she could win. She stepped in between Jack and Lori.

"Get out of here Lori. You are embarrassing yourself. Just go." Ginny said, her gaze locked with the older girl.

"Or what? Geez, take a hint," Lori said, shoving Ginny hard, hard enough to make her stumble backwards. Before any of her friends could help her, Ginny was back up. Her hard right hook landed squarely on Lori's nose, and the whole group heard the crack. Even though her nose was broken, that didn't stop Lori from lunging at Ginny, knocking her to the ground as she began punching. Between Jack, Finn, and Mike they pulled them apart, but not before Principal Figgins and Mr. Schuster, who were both chaperones, came rushing over.

"What is going on here?" Principal Figgins asked, seeing Lori's face turning purple and Ginny on the ground, with Rachel at her side.

"Just a misunderstanding, that's all. It's over." Finn said, and the rest of them nodded.

"Over or not, I will need to see both girls in my office first thing Monday morning. And you all need to leave the dance, now." He continued, and walked away. When Ginny looked up, Lori was gone. Mr. Schue spoke up.

"What happened? Is this a continuation of what was going on in rehearsal this week?"

"Lori kept antagonizing Ginny Mr. Schue, she finally got tired of it and defended herself. You should see the bruises from the other day!" Rachel said, as she and Jack helped Ginny to her feet.

"I shouldn't have hit her Mr. Schue, but she put her hands on me first. I got carried away, but I was defending myself." Ginny said, as tears of pain threatened to fall.

"Lori is obsessed with me Mr. Schue, she tried to make Ginny mad so that she would leave the dance." Jack added, with concern for Ginny on his face. Mr. Schuster looked at his students and sighed.

"Okay guys. We will get this straightened out on Monday. Make sure Ginny is okay. You better get going." He replied.

"We will Mr. Schue," Finn replied, and the rest of the glee clubbers headed for the parking lot. They gathered around Finn and Jack's cars.

"That was an awesome punch! I'm sure she will look awful by Monday." Mike said, trying to lighten the mood. Ginny smiled.

"I bet she will, but I still wish I hadn't hit her. My ribs wish I hadn't either." Ginny said, laughing, and then wincing.

"We'll look at them when we get to my house. Meet you guys there?" Rachel said, looking at Jack and Ginny. Jack nodded. They said goodbye to the rest of the group, and Rachel promised to call if Ginny needed anything. Ginny and Jack got in his car and began to follow Finn.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked, concern for Ginny showing on his face. He held her hand.

"I will be. My right hand hurts pretty bad, and my ribs hurt. I really should have just walked away. Now I'm going to be in trouble, I'll probably get kicked out of school, and Glee," She rambled on, and he stopped her.

"Mr. Schue will help, he saw how Lori has been treating you this week. You will still be in Glee, I promise." He said, bringing her fingers to his lips and kissing gently. Despite the pain she was in, the feel of his lips on her skin sent shivers down her spine. Jack felt it too; the feeling of his lips gently touching her fingers sent sparks through his body. Jack held her hand until they pulled into Rachel's driveway.

The house was dark, and Rachel was grateful for that. She didn't want to explain the night's events to her fathers just yet. Jack helped Ginny out of the car, and she walked gingerly up to where Rachel and Finn were standing.

"Make sure you take good care of her Rach, she's in a lot of pain, even if she won't say so." Jack said, looking at Ginny and then back at Rachel.

"She is in excellent hands; Rachel always patches me up after a rough day of football." Finn said, trying to lighten the mood. Rachel and Ginny both smiled. Ginny saw the look that Finn and Rachel exchanged, and she looked away.

"Jack, would you help me inside?" She said softly, gesturing to Finn and Rachel, who were talking quietly. Jack nodded, blushing. He helped Ginny inside, being careful not to wake anyone in the house.

Ginny looked up at Jack, and their eyes met in the dim light. The electric pulse was there again, between them. It was like time stood still.

"I had a really great time tonight Jack, despite everything that happened." She said softly.

"Me too," he replied, "I'm glad Lori didn't ruin the evening for you." He said, his face moving closer to hers.

"She didn't." Ginny said, her head spinning. As much as she wanted him to kiss her, she knew it wasn't the right time. Ginny stepped back slightly, blushing.

Jack had wanted to kiss her so bad, he wasn't paying attention to the signals she was sending back, and now he felt foolish. "I'm sorry Ginny, I didn't mean too…" She stopped him.

"It's okay. I've…I've never been kissed before. I just don't think I'm ready yet." She felt her face getting hot, and she looked away, embarrassed.

Jack pulled her face to his again, and gently kissed her forehead. "It's all right. No rush," he paused, "It doesn't change how I feel about you." They both smiled, and pulled away.

"I should get going. Call me if you need anything." Jack said, walking towards the door. They could see Rachel walking up the drive as well, he opened it.

"Goodnight ladies." He said, smiling, and turned to Rachel, "Call me if you guys need anything." Rachel's face was flushed, and she smiled back.

"Don't worry; I'll take good care of her." Jack nodded, and Rachel came inside, closing the door. When Ginny saw the look on her face, she laughed.

"What?" Rachel said, looking defensive.

"Looks like you and Finn had a nice talk," She replied, and laughed again, then winced from the pain. Rachel laughed too.

"We have plenty of time to gossip about THAT, let's go take a look at your battle scars." Rachel said, as they climbed the stairs together.

_What did you guys think? I know it was long, but if you read this far, please review! I would love any comments from you!_


End file.
